


The Lift

by Ayantiel



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Claustrophobia, Gen, Panic Attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-12
Updated: 2012-10-12
Packaged: 2017-11-16 03:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/535198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayantiel/pseuds/Ayantiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While in a lift, someone has a panic attack. Martin is surprisingly competent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Lift

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Cabin Crew Riot  
> October 2012
> 
> Prompt: Claustrophobia

'Well this is an improvement of last time.' Douglas commented as they entered the hotel lobby.

Martin nodded with a smile and beside him Arthur was practically bouncing up and down.

'Oh yeah, it's brilliant!'

'Of course it is.' Douglas drawled.

'Perhaps it's to celebrate that we're still in the air, even after that whole debacle in St Petersburg.' Martin suggested.

'Really, you think Carolyn is the sentimental type?'

'Okay, maybe not.'

Merely chatting away they booked their rooms and headed for the lift. There were some other people waiting as well and they fell silent. People nodded politely, but awkwardly at each other as they waited for the lift.

With a cheerful 'ding!' the lift arrived and they all stumbled in. Douglas' pressed '4' for their floor and ended up pressing '3' and '5' as well upon the request of other guests.

'One' Arthur said happily as they rode past the first floor.

'Two.... Thre-' CLUNCK!

The lift suddenly came to a halt. The lights flickered out and for a moment there was complete darkness, until the emergency light came on.

'Oh no' one of the other guests, a young woman, said.

'Shit, what happened?' Another called out.

'E-everyone, calm down.' Martin said, trying to sound authoritative but failing miserably.  
'Douglas, can you-?'

'Way ahead of you, captain.' Douglas interrupted and pressed the alarm. He added the captain for the sake of the other guests mostly, knowing Martin was a captain might help them a bit. God knows they shouldn't to him for guidance but it might give them a little reassurance. He would be able to step in, if necessary. 

'Oh non, qu'allons-nous faire?' another passenger cried.

Ah, that would be his cue.

'Il va bien se passer. Ne vous inquiétez pas.' He said. It will be alright, don't worry.

'Uh-oh, Skip? I think she wants to get out' Arthur said as he gestured towards the young woman who had first spoken up. She had pressed herself against the wall and, though it was hard to see in the poor lighting, her eyes were wide and fearful.

Oh dear, Douglas thought. Because it looked frighteningly like an incoming panic attack. He was stuck on the other side of the lift though, close to the control panel. The one closest to the poor girl was Martin, who was likely to have a panic attack himself if he saw someone hyperventilate.

To his surprise though, Martin turned to her with a calm expression and put a soothing hand on her shoulder.

'Miss? Are you alright?' He asked gently.

The poor girl shook her head and whimpered.  
'Walls... they're closing in....'

'Oh splendid, we're stuck with a nutter.' one of the other guests said.

'Hey! That's not very nice!' Arthur told him with a frown.

'Sir, please. You're not helping.' Martin said, before turning his attention to the poor girl again. 

'I'm captain Martin Crieff,' he said. 'What's your name?'

'Hannah' The girl squeaked. The poor thing was shaking like a leaf.

'Hannah, it's going to be alright. Douglas ran the alarm, so help is on the way. Until then I want you to talk to me, alright?'

He glanced at Douglas, as if the ask if he was doing okay. Douglas nodded and smiled.

'A-about what?'

'Anything. Whatever helps keep your mind of your fear. You're here on a holiday?'

The girl nodded. 'Yes, with my friend, Lizzy. She's upstairs. We were going to see the Statue of Liberty tomorrow.'

'Oh, brilliant!' Arthur exclaimed. 'We went to see her today and she's so huge! It's brilliant she even looks like freedom!'

Hannah smiled shakily at him.  
For the rest of the while that they were stuck there she and Arthur talked about sights to see in New York. Well mostly Arthur was the one talking. It did seem to help though. By the time the doors were pried open from the outside she was no longer shaking.

'Well handled there, captain.' Douglas said as they made their way to their room later. 'You seem experienced with panic attacks. Ever dealt with them before?'

'Yeah, my mother. When I was little she used to have them occasionally. It got better over the years, until my father died.' Martin said.

'Ah' He didn't really know how to respond to that.

'You were brilliant, Skip!' Arthur said excitedly. 'You were all calm and authoraa-... authoritative!'

'R-realy? You think so?'

For once Douglas could agree.

'Yes, captain. You were.'

Martin's smile was as radiant as the sun.


End file.
